At the post-game press conference.
FLASH! FLASH! The camera flashes illuminated Popovich’s face.
He had heavy, dark circles under his eyes, his expression was haggard, and his salt-and-pepper hair was clearly visible.
No reporters rushed to ask questions.
It was a form of sympathy for the defeated.
After a long while, Popovich’s eyes finally focused. He rubbed his cheeks, grabbed the microphone, and said, "Unfortunately, we lost. Our opponent was strong. Dirk was strong. He’s a superstar now."
After that simple praise for the Suns, Popovich was at a loss for words.
He wanted to summarize the series but didn’t know what to say.
"I thank Tim and all the players for their effort. They were great. They’re the best players."
"This season is over for us. We’ll be back."
"That’s all."
He stood up and walked straight out of the press conference.
As he entered the staff corridor, his phone rang.
He pulled it out and saw it was Buford.
After a moment’s hesitation, Popovich answered the call.
He wasn’t so afraid that he wouldn’t dare to answer his phone.
"Greg, don’t overthink it. I know you tried your best. The opponent was just too strong."
After being swept 4-0, saying the opponent was too strong was perfectly reasonable.
Popovich just grunted in agreement, unsure of what to say for a moment.
It was Buford who spoke first. "Alright, Greg, the season’s over. Come back as soon as you can. As for what’s next, let’s stick to the plan we discussed."
Popovich acknowledged and hung up the phone.
The so-called plan was to go for the championship this season, and if they failed, they would immediately start tanking for the number one draft pick.
Thanks to Chen Yu’s show, the quality and talent of the players born between ’88 and ’90 were all but laid bare.
It was predictable that this ’88 group of kids would definitely enter the draft next year.
Their agents wouldn’t let them postpone it either.
When it came to the draft, if you had talent and were getting attention, you had to declare early.
The longer you played in college, the more likely your draft stock was to fall.
Age and talent were what NBA teams valued most.
Since their talent had already been showcased on Chen Yu’s show, they should enter the draft as soon as possible instead of wasting time in the NCAA.
The longer you play, the more your weaknesses are exposed.
So the plan was to tank, trade away players, and hoard first-round picks for next year. They would grab two promising rookies, let the team develop for a year, and wait for Parker and Ginobili to mature a bit more. It wouldn’t be too late to take off again the year after next.
Even in ’08, Duncan would only be 32.
With his replaced meniscus and Chen Yu’s help, maintaining his condition wouldn’t be a problem.
The next day, as the Spurs were preparing to return to San Antonio, Popovich dragged them all to Chen Yu’s clinic, asking for Chen Yu’s help with some physical maintenance.
After such a hard-fought series, they needed to tune up their bodies to prevent any problems from cropping up during the offseason.
What could Chen Yu say to the arrival of the Spurs?
The guys had already been eliminated.
"Greg, Bowen is getting older too," Chen Yu chatted casually with Popovich for a bit.
Bowen was already 35 this year.
"So?"
Popovich wasn’t quite following Chen Yu’s train of thought.
Chen Yu continued, "So... any thoughts on Posey?"
"Who?"
Popovich’s heart couldn’t help but skip a few beats.
James Posey?
He could run, he could jump, he was young, an excellent defender, could shoot threes from the wing, and most importantly, he was on a mid-level contract.
Who wouldn’t want such a cost-effective player?
"Chen, what are you getting at?" Popovich asked in return.
Chen Yu said, "I think once the season is over, perhaps we could discuss a trade for Posey. For your first-round pick next year, for example."
The moment the ’07 first-round pick was mentioned, Popovich sobered up instantly and blurted out instinctively, "Impossible."
As soon as he said it, he seemed to realize something and quickly corrected himself, "I mean, it’s not impossible. Chen, that’s a very feasible idea. Are you guys serious?"
Chen Yu smiled. "Whether we’re serious or not, it’s not too late to discuss it after the season ends."
Popovich nodded, his brows furrowed. ’This guy might be bluffing.’
And Chen Yu was, indeed, bluffing.
The season wasn’t over yet, so it was inappropriate—and not even allowed—to discuss trades.
Chen Yu had just asked casually to test how much Popovich valued next year’s first-round pick.
If he valued it that much, it would be enough to confirm Chen Yu’s suspicion that the Spurs might actually be planning to tank.
Popovich’s instinctive "Impossible," followed by his immediate attempt to cover it up, confirmed for Chen Yu that they really had such a plan.
’This old man is truly ruthless.’
’But for a small-market team, this is the only way to play the game.’
After smoothly advancing past the first round and resting for a day, the team set off for Los Angeles.
Just as the Suns had eliminated the Spurs 4-0, the Lakers showed no mercy on their end, also sweeping the Kings 4-0. They were already waiting for the Suns.
The first game between the two teams would start on May 4th.
Chen Yu still didn’t travel with the team to Los Angeles.
It was already May, and Chen Yu not only had to monitor the several patients at the clinic to get them discharged as soon as possible—especially cases like Rooney—but various national teams were also about to arrive.
This year was a World Cup year. Blatter had already decreed that all leagues must end before May 15th, and national players were permitted to skip any club events after the 15th to report to their national teams as soon as possible, ensuring the quality of the World Cup.
Once the various national teams assembled, they would each take a week to visit Chen Yu’s clinic.
It wasn’t enough for Chen Yu to just have his system’s techniques; he also had to prepare a large number of "system effects" in advance, lest he find himself short-handed when the time came.
Therefore, Chen Yu watched the first game on May 4th from his clinic.
The matchup on the other side of the bracket wasn’t decided yet.
The Pioneers were on the verge of a Game 7 against the Grizzlies.
Wade was such a strong player that Rivers was a bit at a loss on how to handle him.
And in this high-stakes series, their lack of toughness in the paint was completely exposed.
Chen Yu couldn’t predict who would have the last laugh.
But regardless of which of those two teams advanced, or even the Mavericks who had already made it to the second round, none of them should be a match for the Suns.
The decisive matchup in the West would be between the Lakers and the Suns.
This series could basically be considered the Western Conference Finals.
So, the first game was very important.
You could get a general idea of the lineup and strength issues just by watching the first game.
During the regular season, the two teams from the same division played four games. The Lakers had a 3-1 record, giving them a slight edge.
But back then, Nowitzki hadn’t yet unveiled his Golden Chicken Standalone, so those results weren’t very meaningful.
The evolved Nowitzki had directly elevated the Suns’ overall strength.
Thus, they’d have to battle it out for real to know who was truly stronger.
Chen Yu, still in his scrubs, watched the live game in the medical center’s break room with Owen, Rooney, and the other patients.
"Chen, who do you think will win?" Owen asked, as usual.
’How would I know?’ Chen Yu thought, asking him for his opinion instead.
Owen grinned. "I think you guys will win."
Chen Yu shrugged, not taking Owen’s compliment to heart. Looking at the two teams’ players already walking onto the court, he shrugged again and said, "Who knows."

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